


Meeting Her

by Travel



Category: Original Work
Genre: Caretaking, Emetophilia, Multi, Seasickness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:08:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24792856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Travel/pseuds/Travel
Summary: Looks like you've got the job. But will you be able to get the girl too? Her mother and the choppy seas might decide otherwise.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Meeting Her

MEETING HER  
Your future boss invites you on a vacation. Just a little trip so you two can get to know each other and see how well you do. For Katherine, how you socialize, how you get along with others is just as important as to how well you work. It makes sense if your role is to be her translator. There is the promise of glamour in this job and you’re already experiencing it. The private jet around the world. The beach resort. A condo all to yourself. You won’t turn this down. You can’t. But she can and all you’ve got now is the hope that she doesn’t.  
On that vacation day, you are enjoying your own condo in Vallarta. You have a whole view from your balcony out to the ocean. You don’t mind the jetlag from the long flight from London. You just blast the air conditioning to get rid of the Jalisco heat, the volume on the wireless speaker attached to your phone on full. You dance, you lip-sync. This is the kind of life you always knew you wanted but never thought you could get. All those years getting As in High School French and Spanish have paid off. All those extra language classes where you went not just to learn a language but hope to meet someone new, but always failed because everyone else in the class was either too young or too old have also paid off.  
Your phone buzzes with a message from her: “Come down to the lobby!” She tells you and you make your way down. And there she is. Her sandy-blonde hair puffing with the heat and humidity. A white sarong wrapped around her one piece red bathing suit. Her hazel-eyes hidden behind sunglasses.  
“Ah, there you are, my darling,” she tells you. “Enjoying the condo?”  
You nod your head and thank her.  
“Ah, my pleasure. Only the best. To quote one of my favorite films: Spare no expense.”  
And this is the first time you see Tessa. She tackles her mother, frightening her and getting a good laugh out of her. Her dark brown hair flows down to her shoulders. She’s pale like many Brits can be but her pallor has been slightly bronzed by the sun over the years. The color of her hair matches her eyes. The whole world seems to stop every time her lips curve into a grin.  
“Oh, Tessa! You’re way way too old to be doing this!” Katherine says.  
Tessa giggles.  
“You scared stiff like that doesn’t get old,” she says.  
Katherine shakes her head.  
“RJ, this is my daughter Tessa. Tessa, my translator candidate, RJ,” Katherine says, gesturing at you.  
Tessa nods at you.  
“Pleasure. Good luck,” she says with a grin.  
Katherine rolls her eyes.  
“My apologies, she really likes scaring people. Went to Royal College for Literature and all she wants to do is write scary books,” she says.  
“Oh mum, c’mon. Scary books changed literature forever!” Tessa retorts.  
“Don’t give me a lecture, please. At least if you write scary books you’ll probably stop frightening your poor mother.”  
You can’t help but giggle, but you can’t also help but notice that she’s not looking at you. Instead, Tessa’s eyes seem fixed on her mother or somewhere else. Anywhere but you. But before you can dwell too much on it, Katherine talks to you again.  
“RJ, my darling, will I see you later at the beach? I can’t promise you fun. I’m far too old for that. But we can talk business with a nice view,” she says.  
Of course, you accept. You bid your farewells to her and Tessa. And you begin to wonder if Tessa will be there as well. But soon, Katherine comes back and approaches you.  
“Oh, RJ, one last thing…” she says.  
“Yes?” you ask.  
She takes down her sunglasses and looks at you.  
“Stay away from Tessa, you hear? Even if she talks to you.”  
You nod.  
“Didn’t even cross my mind,” you tell her.  
Katherine puts her sunglasses back on and walks away. Very rarely in life do you get everything you want. As long as you can keep the job.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
You have changed into a dark blue bathing suit with a white button-down shirt. You leave it open to let the sun hit your chest and stomach. You make your way out to the beach. Katherine has saved the beach all for yourself and her. The power of money. You walk and find her laying down under an umbrella in her chair.  
“Oh RJ, darling, please sit down. Make yourself comfortable,” she says as she signals to one of the two chairs next to her.  
You sit and then you notice from afar: Tessa jumping against the waves as they push her body in the distance. Katherine rants about the job and other things. You half-listen, trying not to lose the thread of the conversation. Then Tessa approaches, fixing up her hair into a messy ponytail. She smiles at you to acknowledge but instead of sitting, she lies down on the sand. Now you see her whole body and outfit: A white bikini with a splash of different colors and tones on the top and bottom. Not revealing but the shape of her body almost gives itself away. Her skin glistens from a combination of seawater, sweat and sunscreen. She sits up to look at the waves and you look at her, at times, seeing if she ever looks at you.  
“RJ?” Katherine quickly calls you and you turn to her.  
“Are you up for a little ride around the bay later?”  
You accept and hope that Tessa is there.  
………………………………………………………………………………………  
The boat ride starts out well enough. You’re on a sailboat, sitting and talking next to Katherine. Tessa is on the bow, lying down sunning herself and reading on her Kindle. The seas are a bit choppy but more relaxing than dizzying. The sky is a clear blue. Again, the sort of thing you didn’t know you wanted but now you know that you need. Later, her assistants help set up a table and fill it with plates of fried fish and shrimp, chips, salads, sandwiches, a pot full of tea, a jar of lemonade and a bottle of wine.  
You help yourself to a sandwich and some of the shrimp and chips. You decide to drink the tea. Katherine helps herself to the fish and some of the wine. And soon, you see Tessa approaching. She grabs a plastic plate and takes a bit of everything in it. Katherine shakes her head.  
“Oh Tessa, did you take your Dramamine?” Katherine asks.  
Tessa smiles as she keeps piling food on her plate.  
“Yes, mother,” she says and then reaches for the wine, but her mother slaps her hand away. Instead, she serves herself some of the lemonade. Again, you pray in your head that she sits next to you or at least next to her mother across from you. Instead, she takes her plate and goes to the bow again and that’s where she eats.  
“Is this your first time on a boat?” Katherine asks you.  
It is.  
“So you haven’t any idea if you get seasick?”  
You don’t. But so far you haven’t felt a thing.  
“It’s dreadful. Luckily I took something. Tessa always struggles with motion sickness. But I never know if she takes the pills or not.”  
You find this detail cute somehow. That’s when you know you’re hopeless. When every detail about her seems amazing. But you start to count your losses. You know the struggle and the way things can go. If she sits next to you, what if she turns out her conversation is bad? If you become friends, what if it’s all you stay? What if she ends up being a bad friend? And maybe all these thoughts are a waste. What if she’s already with someone? What if she doesn’t even want a relationship? You’ve heard it all. But all these assumptions are kind of useless when you have her mother between the two of you. You just try to focus on enjoying the moment and that’s easy with the beauty of the ocean around you. And made even easier when the assistants bring forward plates of dessert: Apple and cherry pie. Tessa only returns to grab a slice of apple pie and then goes back to the bow. You opt to focus on your slice instead.  
But with the slice gone, then all you have is the beauty of the ocean. And soon, that starts to disappear. The rocking of the ocean increases. The winds grow stronger. The boat is practically jumping over the waves. Sideways, up and down you go. You start to feel the weather grow hotter. You begin to feel as if the air is being taken away from you. You feel dizzy. You take deep breaths. A cold sweat starts to spring out from your body. Tessa comes in, wobbling. She’s starting to look pale and her face looks sweaty with hair sticking to it.  
“Mum, you’ve got anything? I don’t feel---“ she says but a wave seems to send her dizziness over the edge. You notice that her eyes seem to roll for an instant. She stumbles and collapses next to you. Her arm wraps around your shoulder. She pants for a moment.  
“S—sorry,” she tells you.  
You nod and tell her it’s all okay. You can feel her cold sweat on your shoulders for an instant.  
“Oh sweetheart, please don’t bother RJ,” she says.  
She pulls away from you.  
“Look at the horizon,” Katherine tells her.  
Weak, Tessa nods and she wobbles on to the bow where she collapses. Katherine shakes her head.  
“I hope she doesn’t put up a spectacle. She had a massive breakfast this morning too. Basically a giant waffle and sausages,” she says, looking at her. You swallow at the mention of Tessa’s breakfast. Katherine looks at you.  
“What did you have for breakfast, dear?”  
You try not to groan, not to show any sign of malaise. You just swallow and try to force a smile, hoping it does the job. You mention how you had blueberry pancakes with slices of bacon. You try to end the conversation by saying that you had it in the hotel restaurant, hoping that doesn’t arise any more questions for her. Katherine smiles.  
“I’m glad you’re enjoying the hotel,” she says and yawns. Katherine stretches and lets her body lightly collapse on the chair. She closes her eyes and falls asleep.  
The waves get worse. You look at who keeps looking more and more pale. Sweat and water cover her face. Some strands of hair exploding from the bundle she had fixed her hair to. She closes her eyes but can’t seem to keep them open for long. But soon, she lies down on her stomach. Her back revealed to the sun, covered only by her bikini string. Her body fixed on the deck’s floor as the waves rock it up and down and side to side. One look at the waves and you almost feel faint. The rocking is almost unbearable. You close your eyes and fall asleep in your seat. But it doesn’t last. Soon, you wake up again, feeling a big weight on your stomach. You look over at Tessa again, and notice that she must be feeling the same way again. She’s seated with an unwavering hand gently pressing on her stomach. She shoots a look at you and then back into the ocean. Some color returns to her face in the way of blushing. Is she embarrassed about you seeing her seasick or because it’s obvious she’s trying to hide her bloating? Soon, she falls asleep again. You just watch her as the ocean keeps rocking her body. You try to look at the horizon, but it seems impossible to spot with the way the boat rocks up and down and sideways.  
Tessa stirs in her sleep and then sits up, looking groggy and dizzy at the ocean. But then, something seems to hit her that makes her eyes widen. Her face goes from pale to green. Her cheeks puff out and she brings two fingers to her lips. She looks at you with a look that seems to call for help, but her eyes roll, giving away that it’s too late for her. Nevertheless, she struggles and she holds her fingers against her mouth. But she can’t seem to take it anymore. She runs to the rail and presses her stomach against it, as she kneels. The soles of her feet fully revealed to you. You wobble to her, interpreting the look in her eyes as a signal.  
She is dry-heaving when you arrive and coughing, but nothing seems to come. You try to hold her hair, but she brushes you away.  
“Please. Looks like you’re gonna be sick too. Focus on yourself,” she says.  
You nod. She burps and covers her mouth. Again her face goes from green to pink for an instant. She swallows.  
“S-sorry,” she tells you.  
You tell her it’s all okay. You join her next to the rail as the waves keep rocking both of you. It feels as if the bones in your body are all melting away. Like any force to keep you standing has completely disappeared. The two of you keep kneeling over the rail, looking green and covered in cold sweat. At times, she silently gags and sticks out her tongue but nothing comes. She swallows or like you, you both cover your mouths and swallow.  
“Darlings,” Katherine says behind you.  
Weakly, you both turn. She’s standing there holding a big plate full of fish.  
“Think we should have leftovers later?”  
You can’t help it. Neither can Tessa. Her cheeks inflate and she looks even greener than before. She holds her hand against her mouth and rolls her eyes. But this is a battle neither of you can win. You both press your stomachs against the rail and lean toward the ocean. Dry-heaves explode from your mouths. Then come the gags, and finally you both vomit. She gags and coughs, and sputters for a moment before a mash of brown and yellow vomit falls into the ocean. You are able to recognize chunks of shrimp, bacon and ham. Some of it briefly splatters on the rail before being washed away by the waves. She gasps for air once she is finished. Once you are done by yourself, you fetch a bottle of water and hand it to her. Tessa thanks you and takes a swig. First to spit it out with the remains of her vomit. Second, to drink it and cool her scorching, acidic-tasting throat.  
“Can you be my pillow?” she asks you.  
You say you’re not sure if she should do that. Her mother told you to not get closer.  
“Bollocks to that,” she says and she accepts. You let her place her head on your legs and put your back against the rail. You try to evade sight with Katherine’s eyes but it’s inevitable. Even behind her sunglasses, you can tell she’s displeased with how close both of you have gotten. After a moment, she comes over.  
“Sweetheart, you want to sleep in the cabin?” Katherine asks Tessa. She shakes her head.  
“The cabin rocks like crazy, mum,” she says.  
“Lie down over there with me.”  
“RJ is fine,” she turns to you. “You don’t mind, do you?”  
You look at her and then turn to Katherine.  
“I don’t but your mother—“  
“Nevermind my mother.”  
“We’ll talk about this once we get to shore,” she tells you.  
Now you are surely not getting that job. At least you hope something else can make it worth it. Katherine goes away, disappearing into her cabin. After a while, the sails on the boat turn and lead it into shore. You decide to sleep, sitting up with your head pressed against your rail. You feel Tessa’s calm breathing on you. This helps you to finally sleep.  
You get to shore. The boat has stopped moving. Groggy, Tessa gets up and looks at you.  
“Thanks,” she tells you.  
You tell her that it’s no problem, but this is probably the last time you’ll ever see each other.  
“Hang on,” she says.  
You are the first to leave the boat, not saying a word to Katherine or Tessa. You run, trying to get into the beach as fast as you can. But Katherine breathlessly runs behind you.  
“So you are turning this into a disrespect parade for me? If you hate so much, why did you come in the first place?! You don’t know how much I can destroy you.”  
You turn and angrily say you’re sorry. That you just couldn’t leave her daughter being sick like that there. She needed someone to comfort her.  
“I’m her mother, that’s my job,” she answers.  
“If she could fire you, she would,” you tell her.  
She stares at you with cold eyes. You think you’re done so you start to walk away, but then Tessa comes running.  
“Mum--“  
“Stay out of this, Tessa!” Katherine snaps.  
“RJ took care of me. You don’t want to get rid of someone who does that for a complete stranger!”  
“I had very specific rules—“  
“Are your rules worth it if they don’t help someone like me feel better?!”  
Katherine considers for a moment what she has said. Then she looks at you.  
“Stay,” she says.  
“Can I stay with her?” you ask.  
Katherine considers for a moment.  
“What else have you been doing all day?” she says and leaves.  
Tessa smiles and holds your hand.  
“Feel like hanging out?”  
She nods.  
“As long as we don’t go on a bloody boat.”


End file.
